Contact spring arrangement for electro-magnetic multi-contact relays

ABSTRACT

Flat-type contact relays are produced by an automatic procedure employing a small number of parts. The contact spring planes are fabricated from plates of elastic or flexible insulating material. Conductor leads corresponding to the contact springs are deposited on these plates by a printing or etching procedure. The plates have embossed areas which facilitate piling, stacking, adjusting and fixing the plates to one another and to the relay core.

United States Patent Hagen 1151 3,657,673 1451 Apr. 18, 1972 1541 CONTACT SPRING ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MULTI- CONTACT RELAYS [72] lnventor:

[73] Assignee:

Wolfgang Hagen, Leonberg, Germany International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.(

[22] Filed: Aug. 29, 1969 [21] AppLNo; 854,072

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 13, 1963 Germany ..P 17 64 965.9

2] [1.5. Cl. ..335/199, 200/166 PC 1] Int. Cl. ..H01l1 1/06 1 Field of Search ..335/199, 135, 129; 200/166 J, 200/166 PC, 166 CM, 5 R, 5 E, 83 N; 317/112 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,120,583 2/1964 Cornell ..200/5 E 3,267,233 8/1966 3,294,927 12/1966 2,608,630 8/1952 Hair/16611111 ..335/129 2,831,939 4/1958 71112611 ...33s/13s 2,906,838 9/1959 Deighton ..335/199 3,083,280 3/1963 Ungar ....200/l66.l 3,193,731 7/1965 GCrlaCh..... .......317/112 3,293,502 12/1966 Beierle ..317/112 3,433,916 3/1969 Chirota ..200/166 CPC 3,502,824 3/1970 Bonacquisti ..317/1 12 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 762,999 12/1956 Great Britain ..200/166 .1

Primary Examiner-Harold Broome Attorney-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr., Walter J. Baum, Percy P. Lantzy, 1. Warren Whitesel, Delbert P. Warner and James B. Raden [5 7] ABSTRACT Flat-type contact relays are produced by an automatic procedure employing a small number of parts. The contact spring planes are fabricated from plates of elastic or flexible insulating material. Conductor leads corresponding to the contact springs are deposited on these plates by a printing or etching procedure. The plates have embossed areas which facilitate piling, stacking, adjusting and fixing the plates to one another and to the relay core.

6 Clalms, 8 Drawing Figures Pa tainted April 18, 1972 3,557,673

ATTORNEY CONTACT SPRING ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRO- MAGNETIC MULTI-CONTACT RELAYS The present invention relates to a contact spring arrangement for electromagnetic multi-contact relays incorporating cores and armatures of magnetic material. it relates more particularly to contact springs formed by conductors deposited on planes of elastic or flexible material. The planes of elastic material are mounted on the cores on top of each other and substantially parallel in relation to the cores. Portions of the contact springs, in dependence upon the end positiom of the armatures, are actuated in directions towards the neighboring planes of the contact springs.

In conventional types of multi-contact relays, such as the socalled flat type relays, the contact spring arrangements consist of contact spring assemblies. These contact spring assemblies are formed by expensively piling the individual contact springs and the associated intermediate members, which have to be aligned, screwed and adjusted. Owing to these different kinds of operations, the manufacture of such types of contact spring assemblies requires much time and involves considerable expense.

By providing a simplified contact spring arrangement, the present invention solves the problem of reducing both the time requirement and the costs, in that the hitherto required great number of individual parts required during the assembly of the contact spring assemblies piled in the planes of that contact springs, are reduced to a small number of constructional simple pans or components enabling an inexpensive manufacture. According to the invention this is accomplished in that the contact spring planes each consist of a flexible or elastic plate of insulating material on which conductor leads corresponding to the contact springs, are deposited.

The inventive type of contact spring engagement will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings there are only shown those parts which are absolutely necessary for enabling an understanding of the invention.

In the upper portion of the drawing there is shown an exemplified embodiment of the elastic plate of insulating material with the conductor leads deposited thereon. 'Iherebelow there is shown one possible combinatory-arrangement of the contact spring planes.

The drawings include a plan view of an elastic tape or board in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2 is an end view of FIG. 1 showing relationships between elevated and lowered portions of the elastic board,

FIG. 3 is a side view ofFlG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a clip of use in fastening the components,

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show various views of elastic plates of insu Iating material, and

FIG. 8 shows relationships between a relay core and a coil flange of use in the invention.

As may be taken from the upper part of the drawing, the manufacture of the contact planes is made with the aid of a tape or band 1 of an elastic insulating material, with the width and length thereof corresponding to the dimensions necessary for contact springs, and with the thickness thereof being determined in dependence upon the property of the employed material and the requirements of the relay construction. On to this elastic tape or hand there are printed the conductor leads 2 and 3 at a certain spaced relation either individually or in groups. The distance between neighboring conductor leads 2 or 3 is determined by the switching voltage capable of being applied to the conductor leads respectively. Since the elastic band is the supporting part of the contact spring plane, the conductor leads 2 and 3 may now, as regards their width and thickness, be dimensioned merely in dependence upon the necessary current conductivity.

With respect to contact planes of the make or break contacts, the conductor leads are only deposited on one side of the flexible band. In the case of switchover or two-way contacts, it is of advantage to deposit the conductor leads 2 and 3 on both sides of the band.

The band provided with conductor leads may now be divided at any arbitrary width, so that there will result flexible insulating plates with the desired number of conductor leads, corresponding to requirements.

If so desired, the conductor Ieath may be amplified or reinforced within the ranges of their contact-making portions 10, and of their terminals 12 at the circuit. This reinforcement may be efiected, for example, by employing the same printing method as that for applying the conductor leads. Within the range of the contact making portions 10, for example, and if so required, it is also possible that contacts are rivetted therein.

Depending on the employed flexible material, it may be of advantage to provide the elastic plates of insulating material 1 1a, 1b and it between neighboring conductor leads 2 an within the range of their contact making, with slots 11, in order to safeguard the desired coupling of the individual contacts arranged on one contact plane, or to safeguard reliable contact-making, respectively.

In order to bring the individual flexible plates of insulating material on top of each other into a contact spring arrangement and in the required position, these flexible plates of insulating material, on both sides and within the range of their mountings to the core, are provided with elevated portions 4 and 5 or with lowered portions 6 or 7 respectively. These elevated or lowered portions are arranged on both sides of the plates of insulating material at such a spaced relation and at the respective size relation, that irrespectively of whether the neighboring plates of insulating material are of the same type bottom side formed by conductors deposited on planes of elastic or flexible material. The planes of elastic material are mounted on the cores side, are piled on top of each other, and each time in the proper position of the plates, the elevated portions of the one plate will engage the lowered portions of the other plate.

The distance between the neighboring flexible plates of insulating material la and lb, constituting the contact plane, may be established, for example, by employing strips with corresponding raised and lowered portions. The spacing between the neighboring flexible plates of insulating material In and lb is substantially detemrined by the spacing between contacts in the opened condition.

it is of advantage to reinforce the flexible plates of insulating 1, la and lb within the range of their mounting to the cores, by a certain amount, namely by an amount corresponding to the spacing between associated contacts in the opened condition, on both sides. Within this reinforced range, in turn, there may be provided elevated and lowered portions. Owing to the reinforcement of the flexible plates of insulating material, intermediate strips can be eliminated when assembling the plates of insulating material to form a contact spring arrangement.

When the conductor leads 2 and 3 are deposited on to the flexible plates of insulating material by way of a printing method, it is of a particular advantage, and in order to be able to carry out the printing in one plane, to manufacture reinforcements of the flexible plates of insulating material 1, 1a and lb of the same kinds of elevated portions 4 and 5 and grooves 6 and 7 in the longitudinal direction of the conductor leads 2 and 3. In this case the conductor leads 2 and 3 may be deposited between the elevated portions 4 or 5 into the grooves 6 or 7 respectively, and within the range of the contact making 10, may be staggered by one-quarter a of the distance A towards the side of the center lines of adjacent grooves, in relation to the position within the groove.

Owing to this arrangement of the conductor leads, the deposition of the conductor leads 2 and 3 on to the flexible band 1 can be carried out on both sides with one and the same device. In spite of this, the surfaces 10 of the conductor leads establishing a contact, and arranged on neighboring plates of insulating material, are properly placed on top of each other with respect to their position. In so doing, again, neighboring plates of insulating material In and 1b can be piled in the same way or in an inverted fashion on top of each other, when the cross-sections of the elevated portions 4 or 5 and of the grooves 6 or 7 are so designed as to be capable of being joined into one another, and the grooves 6 and the elevated portions 4 on the one side of the plates of insulating material are arranged in a staggered fashion in relation to the grooves 7 and the elevated portions 5 on the other side of the plate.

According to a further feature of the invention, the parts 12 or 13 of the conductor leads 2 or 3 which serve to connect the circuit to one another, are in such a way arranged or deposited on the flexible plates of insulating material, and at a spaced relation, that the plates of insulating material which are arranged on top of each other, are capable of being plugged in for being joined to printed circuit boards.

in order to be able to carry out the piling of the flexible plates of insulating material and the fixing of the contact spring arrangement on the relay core 14 in one operation, it is of advantage to design the one coil flange 15 of the core 14 in such a way that to the one side of the flange, there is associated the supporting surface of the contact arrangement, with this surface being provided with elevated portions 8 and grooves 9 of the same type as those which are also provided on the flexible plates of insulating material.

For example, the fixing of the contact spring arrangement may be effected with the aid of a bow or clip 18 engaging the grooves 16 of the coil flange l5, and pressing with its intermediate portion upon the upper plate of insulating material of the contact arrangement. In the course of this, the elevated portions 4 or 5 may be provided in the transverse direction with guide means 17 which may be engaged by the bow or clip.

According to a further feature of the invention, straps or land-portions and/or pins are provided for adjusting and for maintaining the spacing or distances between the flexible plates of insulating material which are actuated by the armature, such as la, and the neighboring plates of insulating material, such as 1b, within the range of the contact-making 10. Moreover, for the purpose of adjusting the contact pressures, it is possible to use resilient bales, such as balancing springs which, for example, are mounted with the one end between the holding clip and the grooves and elevated portions in the upper flexible plate of insulating material and, with the other end, either directly and/or indirectly pressed upon the plates of insulating material and/or the relay armature.

ln depositing the conductor leads on to the flexible tape or band l or on to the flexible plates of insulating material la, lb or 10 by employing a method in which the conductor leads, for example, by a device, are deposited one at a time in turn, the elevated portions 4 and 5 and lowered portions 6 and 7 as arranged on the flexible band 1, may be used for transporting the band 1 within the device, and for adjusting the spacings in the course of depositing the conductor leads.

In operation of a relay in accordance with the present invention. it will be recognized, of course, that energization of a coil (not shown) on the relay core will produce a magnetic field. This field will cause the conductor leads to be attracted to each other and complete circuits over their respective contact making portions 10.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus and applications, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

lclairn 1. A contact spring arrangement for electromagnetic multicontact relays employing cores and armatures of magnetically conductive material, comprising a relay core, a plurality of flexible plates of insulating material, means for fastening said flexible plates at one end to the relay core to hold them substantially parallel to the core and to each other, conductor leads deposited on said flexible plates to represent the contact springs, reinforcements provided for the flexible plates of insulating material to separate them by an amount corresponding to the selected spacingof the contacts in the o ned condi on, said remforcemen of the flexible plates 0 insulating material consisting of elevated portions and grooves of the same type, extending in the longitudinal direction of said conductor leads, and the conductor leads extending through said grooves and within the range of the contact-making being arranged by being staggered by one quarter of the distance of the center lines of adjacent grooves, in relation to the side and to the own position within the groove.

2. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1 in which the contact leads are deposited on both sides of said flexible plates of insulating material.

3. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 2 in which said conductor leads include reinforced portions.

4. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1, in which the flexible plates of insulating material are slotted within the range of contact-making between adjacent conductor leads.

5. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1, in which parts of said conductor leads serving to complete an electric circuit are deposited in a spaced relation on the flexible plates of insulating material such that the plates of insulating material as arranged on top of each other are capable of being plugged into one another for establishing the connection with printed circuits.

6. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1 in which straps or land portions and resilient clips are provided, by which the spacings and the contact pressures between the flexible plates of insulating material as actuated by the armature, and the neighboring plates of insulating material within the range of contact-making are capable of being adjusted. 

1. A contact spring arrangement for electromagnetic multicontact relays employing cores and armatures of magnetically conductive material, comprising a relay core, a plurality of flexible plates of insulating material, means for fastening said flexible plates at one end to the relay core to hold them substantially parallel to the core and to each other, conductor leads deposited on said flexible plates to represent the contact springs, reinforcements provided for the flexible plates of insulating material to separate them by an amount corresponding to the selected spacing of the contacts in the opened condition, said reinforcements of the flexible plates of insulating material consisting of elevated portions and grooves of the same type, extending in the longitudinal direction of said conductor leads, and the conductor leads extending through said grooves and within the range of the contact-making being arranged by being staggered by one quarter of the distance of the center lines of adjacent grooves, in relation to the side and to the own position within the groove.
 2. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1 in which the contact leads are deposited on both sides of said flexible plates of insulating material.
 3. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 2 in which said conductor leads include reinforced portions.
 4. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1, in which the flexible plates of insulating material are slotted within the range of contact-making between adjacent conductor leads.
 5. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1, in which parts of said conductor leads serving to complete an electric circuit are deposited in a spaced relation on the flexible plates of insulating material such that the plates of insulating material as arranged on top of each other are capable of being plugged into one another for establishing the connection with printed circuits.
 6. A contact spring arrangement according to claim 1 in which straps or land portions and resilient clips are provided, by which the spacings and the contact pressures between the flexible plates of insulating material as actuated by the armature, and the neighboring plates of insulating material within the range of contact-making are capable of being adjusted. 